Detachable wheel rim



` z. LITTMAN 1.718.697

DETACHABLE WHEEL! BIH Filed July 16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 /4 Z/ ZZ Sen/Coz June 25,1929. y '2. U11-MAN m1218597 DETACHABLE wimEL Riu Filed July 16. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m mig/invento@ Patented .lune 25, 1929.

ZENO LITTMAN, OF YORK, N. Y;

nn'reonnnrn WHEEL RIM.

Application. filed .'J'uly 1,6, 1924. Serial No. 726,260.

This invention relates to tiresupporting rims for vehicle wheels, and more particularly to demountable rims of the sectional, circumferentially divided type. y y y Broadly, the object of the invention is to provide a demeuntable rim of the general type referred to which can be readily disassembled, and in which a coupling de vice for the rim members is provided that exerts a locking or holding action whose effectiveness is increased in proportion to the strain or load exerted on the parts in the operation of the vehicle supported thereby.

The invention includes two annular tiresupporting members having their inner edges formed for interlocking engagement, with a coupling member, for securing them together. For the effective interlocking and holding of the interengaged parts, the coupling member is provided with inwardly directed flanges or shoulders formed to be engaged by corresponding `outwardly extending shoulders formed on the tire-supporting members, the interengaging shoulders being held in locking contact by manually operable cam members suitably disposed for the purpose. Preferably the locking cam members are mounted on the coupling member, and are operable to force apart the contiguous edges of the tire-supporting members so as to force the shoulders on the tire sup porting members into interlocked engagement with the shoulders on the coupling member. l

Other features of the invention will be hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, in which a number of imbodiments of the invention have been selected for illustration, y

Figure 1 is a detail view showing in seetion a portion of a demountable rim embodying the invention, and with a tire mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of an enlarged detail, showing a modified embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure `2, showing a modified form of coupling member forming part of the invention;

Figures fl, 5 and 6 are plan views showing different steps in the operation of assembling the parts of the device shown in Figure 1 of the drawing;

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are sectional views, respectively, of the parts `shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawing;

Figure 10 is a View in side elevation of the demountable rim shown in section in Figure 1;

Figure lliis a plan View on an enlarged scale of a detail ofthe invention showing means for' locking the parts against relative circumferential movement;` i y Figure 12 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 11; i

Figure 13 is an enlarged view of a detail showing a hinge joint that may form part of the coupling ring shown in Figure 10;

Figure 14 is a side view of the parts shown in Figure 13.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, at 10 and 11 are shown complementary annular tire-supporting members having outstanding flangemembers 12 which assist in pro viding a seat for a tire 13 shown in "Figure 1 of the drawino'. The members 10 and 11 are held intheir tire-supporting position `by means of a coupling member 111, which engages the tire-supporting members at their inneredges and forms an interlocked connection therewith `to provide a rigid ntiresupporting structure when the parts are in assembled condition. y In order to bring about the interlocking engagement of the coupling member 141 with the tire-supporting members 10 and 1.1, the members 10 and 11 are provided along their inner contiguous edges 15 with outwardlyextending shoulders or flanges 16, adapted to engage with similar shoulders or flanges 17 formed on the coupling mem# ber 141, the flanges 17 being arranged to eX- tend inwardlyv so as to interlock with the shoulders 16 on the tire'supporting 1ne1nbers, as clearly indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. In the Vparticular con struction shown 1n Figure 1 the shoulders or flanges 1G and 17 are formed with undercut inner faces to provide an interlocking connection, as is clearly shown in Figures 7, 8 `and 9.

A double-end cam member 18 is rotatably mounted on the` locking ring 14, and is formed to engage the confronting edges 15 of the tire-supporting members 10 and 11 and to force the tire-s`upporting members apart, this action forcing the shoulders 1G, carried by the tire-supportingmembers `10 and 11, into inter-locked engagement with the inwardly extending shoulders 17 of the coupling member 14.

In Figures 4 to 9 of the drawing lthere is illustrated the operation of assembling the kmembers and 11 and the Ycoupling memzber 14 into a, rigid constructiresupportinfr tion adapted to support the tire 13. In

Figures 4 to 7 of the drawing is' shown the coupling member 14 aboutte be moved to position to bring the shoulders 17 thereon into Ythe channel 19 formed in the tire-supperting meister' io'Y ai aie fece ef nie enen-1- de'rs 16. InV Figures 5 and 8 of the drawing the couplingr member 14 and the y tirlsiip 'orting member l0l are sh'own nio'ved into their int'eilo'ckedL relation and, in ,addition, the' tire-supporting `,member 11 is shown with the shoulder 16 thereof placed einen die ehannei 2o immediately in nent ofthe shoulder 17 of the coupling member.

Foll'owing this the cam' iii'embe'r 18 is turned tothe psition'lndicat'ed in Figures 6 and 9 of the drawinf', and the ti'rc'supporting members 10 andD 11 forced apart so that the shoulders 16 Vthereon are moved into position bheith the overliiiiiging,shoulders 17 of the coupling member ,14. The parts are thus held in locked'and rigid relation, so that strainsdelivered to' the rim by way of the i tirel, and which tend to vforce'the tiresupporting members '10 ndll apart, act to bring about fan even more closely interlocked relation of the shoulders 16 and 17.

IThe'operation of the locking cam memtei-'e is is eireeted by are use ef e key memberAV which 'maybe inserted in a keyway 21 provided in a shank22 `formed on the cam r member, shank 22 havingv a journaled seat in the wall of the coupling member 14, and

f plmg ring;

opening inwardly of the cou- `t wil be seenA that with this arrangement 'the insertion of a key into the keyw'ay 21 from the inside of the coupling member 14 serves to lock or unlock the tiresupporting members 10 and 11 to or from 'their coupling support. -Y

' `The coupling member 14 may be formed a unitary `member such as is shown in Figure.v 10 of the drawing, with a single transverse eut V. ti'erei'n such asis indicated at 22. With this construction the coupling member may removed by springing one of the ehds at the "ap 22 radially inward lomits position w ereiipon the entire coul member may be withdrawn from its therein, indicated in Figures 13 and 14 of the drawing. lVith either forni ol coupling member shown, by a suitable movement of the locking cam members 18, the tire-holding members l() and 11 can quickly and readily be placed into or removed t rom tircsup orting assembled rclation; and thc assem led relation is a rigid one which will become still more secure under thc stresses and strains of operation.

In Figures 2 and 3 ot the drawingr there is shown a modified form of linking-shoulder construction wherein tlu` shoulders have a right-angled interhooking relation instead of the oblique angular faces shown in Figurcs 1 and 9 of the drawing. This arrangement is exceedingly cectivc in its holding function. The shoulders may be foi-mcd by a vcutting operation following a casting operation, to produce the shoulders formed on the coupling ring 14 such as shown in Figure 2 et the drawing; or the coupling ring may be termed of sheet metal, with the flanges 16 thereon produced in a suitable shaping or forming operation. The ty )c of coupling ring shown in Figure 2l may lic very economically produced.

To insure that the locking cam inombcrs 18 will remain in their spreading or locking position, they are provided with flat edgeengaging faces 2G, which are brought into contact with the confronting cdves l5 of the rim members whenthe cam huslbeen rotated from the position of Figure 5 to that shown in Figure 6 of the drawing. In this movement the rounded cam portions 27 of.' the locking member 18 are brought into )reading engagement with the edges 15, flollowing which the Hat portions 26 engage the rim edges, the fiat portions being spaced aA slightly less distance from the ccntcr of rotation than that of the highest point of the rounded cam portions 27, so that a position of rcst is obtained which insures the retention of the locking members 18 in their locking position.

In practice the coupling ring member 14 may be rovided with an inwardly extending lng 28 or cooperation with a corresponding recess in the fclloe of the wheel to maintain registration of the valve stem opening 29 with the corresponding opening in the liclloe member.

Iclaim:

1. In a demountable rim for vehicle wheels, a pair of complementary annulaitire-supporting members in cdgc-to-cdgr rclation and provided with outwardly directed shoulders adjacent their opposed edges, a coupling member provided 'with inwardly directed shoulders for engagement with the shoulders on the tire-sup )ortinrr members, and cam members mounte( on tlie lcoupln member and operable to engage the opposed edges of the tire-supporting members and force the shoulders carried thereby into interlocking engagement with the shoulders on the coupling member.

2. In a demountable rim for vehicle wheels, a pair of complementary annular tire-supporting members in edge-to-edge relation and provided With outwardly directed shoulders extending along their opposed edges, an annular coupling member having inwardly directed shoulders for engagement with the shoulders on the tiresupporting members, rotatable cam members carried by the coupling member `for forcing the tire-supporting members apart to bring about an interlocking relation of the shoulders, and means whereby the cam members may be operated from the inner periphery of the coupling member.

3. In a demountable rim for vehicle Wheels, a pair of complementary annular tire-supporting members in edge-to-edge relation and provided with outwardly directed shoulders extending along their opposed edges, a split-ring coupling member f having :inwardly directed shoulders for engagement with the shoulders on the tiresupportlng members, rotatable cam members journaled in the coupling member, said cam members being provided with keyways to receive a key inserted from the inner periphery of the coupling member and said cam members being formed to force apart the inner edges of the tire-supporting members and having flat faces adapted to bear against the edges when the tire-supporting members are in spread and interlocked relation.

4. In a demountable rim Jfor vehicle wheels, a pair of complementary annular tire-supporting members in edge-toedge relation and provided with outwardly directed shoulders adjacent their opposed edges, a coupling member provided with inwardly directed shoulders for engagement with the shoulders on the tire-supporting members, and means movably mounted on the coupling member between said opposed edges and operable to engage the opposed edges of the tire-supporting members and force the shoulders carried thereby into interlocking engagement with the shoulders on the coupling member.

In testimony WhereoE I ailix my signature.

ZENO LITTMAN. 

